“Many people simply are not receiving reliable information about the vaccines,” he said. Bethlehem, where the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in a West Bank Palestinian city was found, may have been harmed the most. In addition to causing at least 258 deaths in the region, the virus has ravaged the tourism industry in the city where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born. Hotels and restaurants have closed and tour guides have been put out of work. But at the bustling open-air market in the Old City, many fruit and vegetable vendors spoke almost as loudly about their vaccine skepticism as they did in hawking their produce.

Source: International New York Times August 29, 2021 09:15 UTC